


these golden beacons

by mardia



Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-10
Updated: 2010-09-10
Packaged: 2017-10-11 15:29:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/113910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mardia/pseuds/mardia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Future-fic, written post-Tongues of Serpents. "I have been accused of obliviousness on occasion, but I am not in fact <i>blind</i>, you know."</p>
            </blockquote>





	these golden beacons

"I think I rather like this valley of yours," Tharkay said finally, letting his gaze drift up to the night sky, dotted with stars and a bright moon, waxing full. It was quiet, with only the sound of the distant falls breaking the silence. Both Temeraire and the herd of cattle were silent, all fast asleep, and it was just him and Laurence left awake, lying by the tiny fire and talking quietly into the night.

"Thank you, I thought you would approve," Laurence replied next to him, his voice rich with good humour, and Tharkay thought, but did not say aloud, that he liked _Laurence_ in this valley, _this_ Laurence with contentment writ over him clear as anything, tanned from the sun, forever turning to Tharkay with a smile on his lips.

"I must admit that I did not expect you to visit so soon, though I am glad you did," Laurence continues over a moment.

"As am I," Tharkay admitted finally; it was easy to say, somehow, staring up at the constellations, darkness all around them, and not having to look over and see Laurence's face illuminated by the firelight.

He looked anyway, because it was impossible not to, and found Laurence already looking back at him, the firelight casting shadows over his face. "How long will you stay?" Laurence asked finally.

"A while yet," Tharkay said, his voice low, his eyes drawn to Laurence's mouth despite himself.

"I am glad to hear it," Laurence replied, and Tharkay watched his mouth move with fascination.

The urge to move forward was irresistible, and Tharkay did not attempt to resist it, turning onto his side to look Laurence in the face and press, "Did you?"

Laurence gave him a soft smile, his eyes heavy-lidded as he said, simply, "Of course."

Tharkay knew what he would do next, and a part of his mind marveled at his daring—to make such a gesture to the proper British officer he'd first met would have been unthinkable, to reach out to the broken wraith Laurence had become in England would have been equally unthinkable, albeit for entirely different reasons. And the times in between had been filled with hesitation, for half a dozen reasons, but here in this valley with Laurence laid out before him—it was remarkably easy to lean in and brush a kiss against Laurence's soft mouth, holding his breath as he did.

He expected Laurence to stiffen, to pull away and stammer, but what he got was the thing he barely hoped for—Laurence's mouth falling open, his lips pressing warmly against Tharkay's as he kissed back.

All that time spent wondering, and it was Tharkay that pulled back first, shocked, gasping out, "Laurence, I—"

He was met with another one of Laurence's smiles, this one with a decidedly wicked edge to it, as Laurence said, "I have been accused of obliviousness on occasion, but I am not in fact _blind_, you know."

Astonished, Tharkay immediately replied, his own voice tart even to his ears, "_That_ is an assumption easily made, I think, considering." He got another smile in response, wide and delighted, as Laurence leaned in and murmured in a tone Tharkay had never heard from him, "Do you think me blind _now_, Tenzing?"

Tharkay's breathing was becoming heavier now, both from the feel of Laurence's breath coming in warm puffs against his mouth, and the sound of his name falling from Laurence's lips. "No," he said, his voice rough with honesty as he pushed Laurence back down into the blankets. "No, never—"

This time, the kiss could not be called tender or tentative, but as hot and rough as Laurence's hands sliding around the nape of Tharkay's neck, pulling him in closer. Tharkay pressed in closer for that, pushing Laurence down into the thin cot, shivering at the feel of Laurence beneath him, warm and solid, the heat of his body seeping in through Tharkay's clothes, banishing the chill of the cool night.

There was not an ounce of hesitation in Laurence that Tharkay could sense, not in his kisses or in his body; indeed, Laurence was clutching at him to keep him in close, the softest of noises escaping his throat, only driving Tharkay on, pushing him even further—

He worked a thigh between Laurence's legs and pressed down, deliberate; the long groan he got in response brought a sharp grin of triumph to Tharkay's mouth, and before he could think twice, he let his teeth scrape against Laurence's lower lip, and grinned into Laurence's mouth as Laurence gasped below him.

Laurence's hands had drifted lower by this point, pressing firmly into the small of Tharkay's back, and it was with an effort that Tharkay managed to tear his mouth away, to stop rocking down into Laurence's willing thigh and ask, his voice so hoarse he barely even recognized it, "Have you—with—have you ever—"

There was just enough light, from the moon and from the fire, to see the flush on Laurence's cheeks, but he still said immediately, "In the Navy—I was young and, and careless and—"

"You, rebellious?" Tharkay said in mock-surprise, grinning. "Perish the thought."

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Laurence groaned, pulling him back down and biting at Tharkay's mouth until Tharkay groaned, his hips thrusting against Laurence's again in that maddening rhythm—

"Oil," he gasped out, tearing his mouth away again, "I have—the oil—"

Laurence broke out into another smile; he had looked set to protest again until Tharkay's words had registered with him. "So this _is_ an attempt at seduction," he said, his voice smug. "I had been wondering."

"Do be quiet," Tharkay grumbled while he hastily grabbed at his bag and rummanged through it. "If anyone has been thoroughly seduced, it was _me_, right into following you halfway around the globe and right into this valley—" Tharkay cut himself off with a sound of triumph as his hand closed around the container.

He turned back, ready to ask Laurence if he was sure—but Laurence was blinking up at him with heavy-lidded eyes, his mouth wet, and to ask seemed ridiculous when Tharkay was already confident of the answer.

So he fell upon Laurence again, his hands scrabbling until they met bare skin, and then he grew greedy once more, touching every inch of Laurence's skin that he could reach, until Laurence was gasping beneath him and arching up helplessly, thrusting into Tharkay's hand, crying out, heedless of the herd and sleeping dragon nearby, "Oh, Christ, oh—"

"Shh," Tharkay soothed, despite the fact that he did not want Laurence to fall silent, "Shh, Laurence, I have you, I—" And now he was the one falling silent, still stunned at the sight before him, disbelieving still that this was real, that it was Laurence letting him do this, Laurence, who was laid bare on the blankets and the dirt for Tharkay to touch, to take and to _have_—

His fingers were already slick and working inside of Laurence almost before Tharkay knew what he was about, and he watched Laurence's face closely, but Laurence just sighed, his eyes fluttering shut as his legs spread further apart, his hips hitching forward, urging Tharkay on.

In what seemed like an eternity and no time at all, Tharkay was slicking himself up and pressing in, gasping at how tight, how—Laurence was panting beneath him, his eyes glazed over, and Tharkay lowered his head and dropped kisses over Laurence's face, shuddering as he pressed in further, until he was flush against Laurence, and held himself still so that—

But now Laurence was shuddering, his hands clutching at Tharkay's back as he groaned, "Oh, God, will you please—" and then Laurence's hips were moving, urging Tharkay on, and Tharkay groaned again, desperate, and began to move in and out of him, far too frantic and not nearly careful enough, but Laurence did not tell him to stop, Laurence moved with him, urging him on with low cries, with his hands pressing bruises into Tharkay's skin, panting eagerly into Tharkay's ear with hot puffs of air.

"More," Laurence cried out brokenly, "—my God, please, oh—"

Tharkay's hips were snapping forward almost of their own volition, rough and fast and faster still, until Laurence groaned and there was a slick warmth between them and Laurence was sinking back into the blanket.

Tharkay dropped his head, his teeth gritted, and thrust forward, again and again, Laurence's hands in his hair, urging him on, and when he came apart, it was with Laurence's mouth on his, Laurence's hands tugging him in as close as possible.

They lay there like that for a while, limbs tangled up together, the sweat cooling on their bodies as they panted, catching their breaths. Finally Laurence yawned, his breath warm in Tharkay's ear as he murmured, "We should get under the blankets, the nights can be cold this time of year."

Tharkay hummed his agreement, and they clumsily grabbed for the blankets and settled them over their bodies. Once they were agreeably settled, with Laurence's arm over Tharkay's side, warm and solid, Laurence asked again, his voice soft and slurred with fatigue, "How long will you be staying with us, Tenzing?"

"For a while yet," Tharkay murmured, his eyes falling shut. "For a good while yet."

End.


End file.
